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75 Years - Thank You to The People who Refused to Forget: 1935-2010

This 1935 Rome Sentinel newspaper documents the creation of the National Monument

Courtesy of The Rome Historical Society

Article Written by Park Ranger Michael Kusch

The history of Fort Stanwix and the City of Rome are inseparably intertwined. This is due to the passion the people of Rome have for their local history; a local history that has profound affects on national and international history. Fort Stanwix was originally built by British and American Provincial troops in 1758 to keep the French Army in Canada out of New York during the French and Indian War. The fort was also built to protect the Oneida Carrying Place (known locally as the De-O-Wain-Sta), the commerce that crossed the portage, and British and Colonial interests involving westward expansion.

During the French and Indian War, troops from Fort Stanwix launched successful attacks on Fort Frontenac in current Kingston, Ontario (1758), the forts at Oswego and Niagara (1759), and Montreal, Canada (1760). Although the number of troops was reduced after the war ended, Fort Stanwix remained garrisoned until the end of Pontiac’s Rebellion (1763 to 1766). The fort was abandoned as a military outpost; however, the site was utilized in 1768 for the Boundary Line Treaty of Fort Stanwix negotiations. This treaty drew a controversial boundary line between Colonial and American Indian land and extended from Fort Stanwix south and west to the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers. This treaty opened lands that would eventually become parts of western Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, Kentucky, and northeast Tennessee.

Lynchville, today known as Rome, grew around the fort and then over its remains. The fort and the events that occurred here would have been largely forgotten and remain just a footnote in history if it was not for a special phenomenon. The People of Rome Refused to Forget Fort Stanwix. You refused to forget Fort Stanwix and the site’s significance in local, national and international history.

Each month during this year leading up to the 75th anniversary, the staff at Fort Stanwix National Monument will write special articles about the People of Rome and your refusal to forget Fort Stanwix and how this paved the way to the establishment of the national monument. The following articles will appear on our website the first weeks and months of 2010 leading up to the 75th anniversary events on August 21st and 22nd. Afterward the 75th anniversary, the articles will focus on how the people continued to remember Fort Stanwix leading up to its reconstruction.

In the 1830s the last remains of the Ft.Stanwix were covered over by increasing development, bringing the fort's history to a close. However, with the fort gone canals, railroads, & new industry allowed the Oneida Carry area of New York to flourish.

1927

The Sesquicentennial Celebrations of the Campaign of 1777

These historic plays and re-enactments took place across the State of New York, in Rome, Oriskany, and Saratoga. Cmdr. Robert Byrd attended the one in Rome speaking of how proud he was to stand near the grounds of Fort Schuyler.

1935

The Fort Stanwix Act is Signed

After years of work by citizens of the City of Rome, NY, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Wagner-Sisson Bill on August 21, 1935, to establish Fort Stanwix National Monument "for the benefit and inspiration of the people."

1963

1960s - Urban Renewal / Rome Donates Land to National Park Service

The 1935 act establishing Fort Stanwix as a national monument used an interesting clause that stated that if the site were to be developed, the property &/or the money to purchase the property had to be donated. This didn’t happen until the early 1970s.

1970

1970-1973, Archeological Investigations Begin

Fort Stanwix Archeological (Excavation) Unit. One of the later features of the fort is this bakehouse with its fireplace and oven. Approximate Year: 1970. These are only a fraction of the volunteers who showed up to unearth the remains of Fort Stanwix.

1973

Construction Begins on the "New" Fort Stanwix

After many years of waiting, planning, and archeological excavations the City of Rome, NY and the National Park Service began rectruction of Fort Stanwix/Schuyler in 1973.

1976

Fort Stanwix National Monument Opens for the Nation’s Bicentennial

The mission of Fort Stanwix National Monument is to preserve the location & objects associated with the military, political, & cultural events that occurred at the site & provide opportunities for visitor understanding & appreciation of these events.

2010

The 75th Anniversary of Fort Stanwix National Monument

The history of Fort Stanwix & the City of Rome are inseparably intertwined due to the passion the people of Rome have for their local history. One that has profound affects on national & international history.